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by jannean dixon, m.ed. the
test
standardized
test
s and students ? mental health ? i t?s going to be on the
test
!? how many times did you hear this phrase when you were in
school
? the culture surrounding
test
ing
is emotionally charged for parents, students, teachers, and administrators.
school
performance scores are a nearly direct reflection of students? standardized
test
scores. if that wasn?t enough, the rules surrounding
test
ing
keep changing. high stakes; not high stakes; alternative
test
ing
; are all scores included? and our children, who soak up our emotions like a tiny sponge, hear and feel what we broadcast about the stress of
test
ing
, often leading to them to begin worrying about their own performance in
school
. the state of
test
ing
surveys suggest that there is an increase of mental health-related issues among students while they are taking
test
s. teachers have reported that there?s an increase in fear of failure and depression due to today?s system of
test
ing
. veteran teacher layla dupuy shares, ?i have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of standardized
test
ing
. i have experienced
test
ing
meltdowns with third graders who were confused by spending long periods of time filling in tiny bubbles. i have comforted eighth graders as they sobbed uncontrollably when they received the news that they failed the leap
test
, which meant they also failed the eighth grade. i have celebrated with high
school
students upon learning that they passed their end of course
test
s or achieved their personal best on the act. logically, i understand the need for standardized
test
s for evaluating student performance. where the problem lies is in the emphasis we put on these results. how a student performs on one
test
, on one day, should not be the sole measure of his or her potential for future success.? and unfortunately, that is the current state of
test
ing
. local therapist, tara dixon adds, ?we are teaching children that high-stakes
test
ing
is the most important indicator of academic achievement. what
test
ing
cannot and does not measure are skills such as relationship building, communication skills, perseverance, and teamwork? all factors that are valuable skills in successful adulthood. if academic self-efficacy is determined by one score on one
test
, we are taking the chance of minimizing the importance of traits such as creativity, appreciation for human connection, independent problem solving, and big picture decision making. are we telling children that
test
ing
is the only way to achieve success? when we highlight unique strengths, we give kids the opportunity to succeed in their own story, not just the one laid out for them.? the need to succeed wanting to excel in
school
work can have an impact on every student. even when a child is doing his absolute best, he can still have moments where he feels his best just isn?t good enough. this can lead to a variety of issues for some, including anxiety and stress. ?we took our son to a therapist because he was experiencing anxiety tied to math,? recalls mom and teacher megan s. ?this took shape in the form of tears that would start at the sight of his math homework. even after being given a break to play outside, he would still become debilitated at the thought of working on it. this was despite 5 8 b r p a r e n t s . c o m | m a r c h 2 0 1 9
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